>> good morning. breaking news. a tragic end for country music star mindy mccready. the singer took her own life just weeks after her boyfriend's death. mccready rose to fame in the '90s, but her career was derailed by personal demons. we'll talk exclusively this morning to the father of her firstborn son. winter's wrath. new storm is set to hit the midwest as new england digs out from the latest blizzard. much of the country locked in the deep freeze. al will be here with the latest. outrage in the air. a man accused of slapping a toddler for crying on an airplane. the boy's mother claims the man even used a racial slur. and he is out of a job "today,"

monday, february 18th, 2013. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a monday morning. i'm savannah guthrie. >> and i'm carl quintanilla in for matt this morning. mindy mccready had been trying to get her career and her life back on track, but the mother of two was tormented with her problems by substance abuse and the recent death of her boyfriend. we'll look at the latest in a moment. i'll take a turn and ask the question, what happens to all that lost luggage at the airport? take a look at this jewelry, high-end fashions. this is the lost and found for luggage that never gets claimed and you won't believe what it is selling for now. then a lot of dads have wondered, but this dad actually tried to find out what it's like to be pregnant.

he wore a pregnancy suit in an experiment that lasted nine weeks. my back hurts already. he'll tell us all about it later on. >> he looks really good. you look good in that suit, really. we'll begin, of course, with that breaking news, the tragic loss in the world of country music. troubled star mindy mccready has died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. andrea canning, you spoke with the star just a few week ago. >> so sad and so bizarre we were just there. i texted her a couple of nights ago asking her how she was and how sorry i was and i never heard back. now it appears she was battling those demons, those personal demons sthee had for so long. sunday night neighbors her two gun shots. she is said to have shot her dog and herself in a place that had great meaning for the singer. >> i just keep telling myself the more suffering i go through,

the greater character i'll have. >> reporter: in her final interview last month before reportedly taking her own life, country singer mindy mccready sounded hopeful, but things apparently became too much to bear. >> i don't know why he did what he did. he's gone. i cannot get him back. >> reporter: dan hanks, los angeles-based private investigator and long-time friend advised mccready on personal matters over the years. for business purposes and with her consent, hanks often says he recorded their phone conversations. the last one on saturday afternoon. >> i would have never guessed that she would have gone ahead and done what she did. >> reporter: she got emotional, talking about her new song "i'll see you yesterday." >> it's such a beautiful song. it must be heard. >> reporter: ironically written to try to help those contemplating suicide. >> now it's so clear that that was what she was doing,

preparing her last statement in this video. >> reporter: authorities found her body on this porch shall the same place where her boyfriend, david wilson, died last month. police have not ruled yet whether his death was murder or suicide. >> the police have not called you a suspect, but do you feel like just the way that it came out in the story that it was damaging in itself? >> i was hurting so bad and then they just did whatever they could to make it hurt even more. ♪ guys do it all the time >> reporter: the country star was once at the top of the charts. was better known recently for her public struggles with addiction. she had recently won a bitter custody battle to get her son back, but in the days following david wilson's death, her two boys were placed in foster care. friends say she had a brief stay in a mental health facility but was released. >> my life hasn't ever really made sense to me, because i -- i

do know what kind of person i am. and i do know that i -- i try to be as good a person as i could possibly be every day. >> police say it does appear to be suicide, but they are conducting an autopsy at the arkansas crime lab, the same lab where her boyfriend's death is being investigated as well. her two young boys are still with the foster family and she told me they were the reason she got up every day. that's where your heartbreaks here is for those two little boys, one of them just 9 months old. >> terrible story. thank you, andrea. billy mcknight is mccready's ex-boyfriend and father of their 6-year-old son. he joins us exclusively. good morning. so sorry for your loss. >> good morning. thank you. >> you've known mindy for 15 years. you've watched her struggle. what was your first reaction when you heard she did this? >> as sad as it is, it didn't come as a major shock, because

she's just been battling demons for so long. and, of course, i was around her when she attempted suicide twice. so, you know, i knew it was in her. i feel for her mother and her family and especially my son, you know. but i can't say that it shocked me, no. >> a lot of people are thinking of your son and zain as well. mindy was institutionalized by the court because of her grief after david wilson took his life and your son, xan dechlt r, was put into foster care as a result of that. what's your reaction to that? >> this whole thing -- he shouldn't have been taken from me to begin with. he was taken out of florida. he has a happy home here. i can provide for him. it's just been a really big mess and enough is enough. he's up there, all alone. he has no family in arkansas.

he has plenty of family who love him here, cousins, aunts, uncles. he needs to come home. and, you know, zain -- i don't know what's going to happen with zain. if he does go to ft. myers where her family is from, it's only an hour and a half difference. i would like to keep those boys being brothers together and try to turn my son's life around. he has had a rough first 6 years. he deserves better than this. and my heart is broken for him right now. i'm very worried. >> billy, mindy was in the hospital for two days, then moved to an outpatient program. do you think she might still be alive if she had been kept in the hospital for treatment? >> i would like to think that. i don't know how she got out. i don't have those exact details. mindy does have a way of talking her way out of situations that maybe she shouldn't have been so good at, perhaps staying in there and grieving around people that could help her over the

death of her fiance, could have calmed her down. but the demons that she hasn't beaten were there. and until she was going to face them, something was going to happen. and everyone who knows her personally knew that. you talk about it. so, you know, i don't know how much -- she would have had to probably stay in somewhere for quite a long time until she really healed and started looking into herself or getting better. >> billy mcknight, we appreciate your time. our thoughts are with you, your family and your son. thank you. >> thank you. folks in the northeast are digging out this morning after the latest winter storm. al is upstairs with the latest on that. good morning, al. >> good morning, carl. this one really is almost adding salt to the wound after all the snow we got from last week. you can see this system pushing itself up, making its way up along the coast. some places getting

blizzard-like conditions. look at the snowfall totals. boston, picking up to five inches of snow, howotiz, six inches. they're looking at more snow. they've picked this up. rhode island also saw a decent amount of snow throughout that region. again, folks digging out, trying to keep things clear. and down in florida -- oh, my gosh, this cold air goes all the way down there, where there are frost and freeze warnings up. here are some of the temperatures we've got this morning. pensacola, 39. tallahassee, 26. 38 in tampa. miami at this hour, 39 degrees. during the day today, temperatures will rebound. not by much. 71 in miami. 67 in vero beach. tallahassee, 62. jacksonville, 64. we've got a couple of big storms coming during the next week or so. we'll have a very active week

weatherwi weatherwise. savannah? >> al, thank you. we'll check back in with you in a few moments. in the case of olympic sprinter oscar pistorius, accused of shooting his girlfriend to death on valentine's day, michelle kosinski is in pretoria, south africa, with the latest. >> reporter: his career had him set to race in four continents and his agent just canceled everything. quoting police sources about what allegedly happened inside his home that morning. >> you fall in love with being in love with love, just one love everywhere. >> reporter: full of life is how friends remember reeva steenkamp in her new television show. >> i take with me so many things, things in here and things in here that i'll treasure forever. >> reporter: for many, too painful to watch as new details

keep coming as she was allegedly killed on valentine's day at the hands fs her love. reeva's skull was damaged, cricket bat is being xmed. she was allegedly first shot in the bedroom then through a bathroom door. friends say he frantically call them before 4:00 am that morning. i said to him, what are you talking about? he then repeated himself, there has been a terrible accident. i shot reeva. the other friend says she reportedly arrived to carry a barely breathing reeva down the stairs and they both tried to save her life. the young woman who seemed to savor every moment, every good-bye. >> i think the way you go out, not just your journey in life,

but the way you go out and make your exit, is so important. you've either made an impact in a positive way or a negative way. always be true to yourself. and i'm going to miss you all so much. i love you very, very much. >> reporter: so, pistorius' bond hearing is tomorrow. some legal experts feel there's a chance he will be released, which some women's groups here have vocally opposed. savannah? >> michelle kosinski, thank you. karen maun is a reporter for the news station in south africa. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. >> this comes down to whether this is a premeditated murder, as police allege, or whether it was an accident, as oscar pistorius' family claims. how difficult a case will this be for oscar pistorius to make, that this was an unintentional shooting? >> reporter: if he can't prove this is an unintentional shooting, he faces charges of

premeditated murder, the most serious kind that you can have in the south african system. premeditated murder means not only that it will be incredibly hard for him to get bail from the court but also that he faces a possible life sentence in jail if he is, in fact, convicted of reeva steenkamp's murder. >> i know we've not seen all the evidence, not even close. you've been talking to your own sources within the police department there. what does the forensics tell us so far? >> reporter: well, we know that when oscar pistorius was carrying his girlfriend down the stairs after he allegedly shot her three times in a very confined space, a little bathroom stall upstairs, that her heart was still beating. now he says he was desperately trying to save her. that's what he has told family and friends. forensics would show that she was in an incredibly confined space, she could not have possibly gotten away. what will be crucial to him is

convincing a court that he had no idea that it was, in fact, her inside that bathroom stall, that he reasonably believed it was an intruder. problematic for him, however, is consistent with this evidence from the residents who live in that complex, that they heard the shouts of screaming and arguments in the moments before the shooting and then three or four shots fired in very close succession. what will be problematic for him is convincing a court he didn't know it was her and that there hadn't been some previous altercation in the moments before the shooting. >> a lot of reports flying around in the tabloids. what do you know about this report that there was a bloody cricket bat at the scene? >> we know he kept a cricket bat next to his bed because of apparent sbangt paranoia that he would be under attack. the gun he kept was fully loaded at all times and the picture is emerging of someone who lived in complete fear and apprehension for most of his life,

particularly these last few years. however in this stage there's no evidence that that bat was actually used to bludgeon reeva steenkamp. we know it was seized and under testing but no evidence that she actually suffered a head wound as a result of that bat. the head wounds we suffered at this stage, from what we understand, was from the bullet he shot her with in the head. >> reporter: very, very quickly, tomorrow is the bail hearing. do you think he will get bail? are we likely to see more of the evidence at this stage in the case? >> reporter: it would be incredibly unusual for him not to get bail. we know the state will put up an incredible fight, arguing that this was planned and premeditated murder. in the south african justice system unless absolutely exceptional circumstances exist, it is highly unusual for someone in his position, have iing the status that he has, not being a flight risk and being prepared to hand in his passport not to be given bail, particularly the

argument that his lawyers will make. it will take some time because the investigation involved in this case for the matter going to trial and keeping him in jail for that length of time would not be in the interest of justice. >> karyn maughan, thank you. natalie morales is over at the news desk with a look at our other stories this morning. good morning. good morning. pope benedict's successor, anne thompson is there with more. good morning, anne. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. the conclave to elect pope benedict's successor is scheduled to begin between march 15th and march 20g9, but there is talk it could be moved up because the karmds who will elect the new pope are coming here to rome to say good-bye to pope benedict february 28th. we should hear some word perhaps this week. asked who will succeed pope benedict the pope himself yesterday set off a flurry of speculation at his weekly blessing when he addressed the

crowd in spanish, he asked them to pay praise for himself and the future pope. some wondered was he sending a secret signal that he would prefer to see a pope from latin america? i spoke to a vatican spokesman who said there was no secret signal, just the pope offering a prayer. >> anne thompson, thank you. >> nbc's white house correspondent kristen welker is in port st. lucie, traveling with the president. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. president obama heads home later today after a weekend of golf, including a game with tiger woods on sunday. the debate over immigration reform back in washington is escalating. new white house chief of staff dennis mcdonough on "meet the press" after a leaked copy of the president's immigration proposal, creating a new visa, allowing illegal immigrants to

become legal residents within eight years. mcdonough says the president has not proposed a bill yet and is hoping congress will act first. >> we'll be prepared in the event that the bipartisan talks going on on the hill which, by the way, we're aggressively supporting. if those do not work out, we'll have an option that we'll be ready to put out there. >> reporter: republicans slammed the report, including a key player in the bipartisan talks, marco rubio saying if actually proposed the president's bill would be dead on arrival. senator john mccain accused the white house of playing politics. >> leaks don't happen in washington by accident. >> reporter: democrats engaged in damage control. >> we've talked to senator rubio. he is fully on board with our process. i am very hopeful that in march we will have a bipartisan bill. >> reporter: an administration official says that leak was not planned. now that bipartisan group of

senators continues to work on immigration reform but passage is not certain with lawmakers still sharply divided on key issues. natalie? >> kristen welker, port st. lucie, thank you so much. lost his job after being charged with slapping a toddler on a minneapolis to atlanta flight. accused of hitting the 2-year-old and calling him a racial slur. the boy's mother says he appeared to be intoxicated on the flight and lashed out at their baby when he started to cry. his attorney says he will plead not guilty to the federal assault charge. another history-making win for danica patrick. stock car driver became the first woman to nab a top spot for any race in nascar's premiere circuit, winning the daytona 500 pole with a lap topping 196 miles per hour at the international speedway in florida. she says she was raised to be the fastest driver, not the fastest girl. she proved that. talk about nerves of steel.

diver ocean ramsey ditched her shark cage to tag along with the real deal. a massive great white shark, hitching a ride on its dorsal fin, the pair float along peacefully. she shot the video for go pro. she's been swimming with sharks since she was 12 years old. >> i knew it was going to be good because of the peaceful music that we're hearing, not the -- big difference in the music, right? that's always the key sign. mr. roker, gosh, i can't believe boston's got it again. >> they do, and now cold air and wind to deal with as well, as does much of the northeast. it feels like it's 2 below in boston. air temperature of 16. 4 in watertown. afternoon temperatures bounce back not very much. upper teens to low to mid 20s. rest of the country, single digits below zero temperature readings in the northern plains.

we're looking for 70s and 80s down through texas. big storm to talk about. we'll tell you about that coming up in a little bit. first, we've got your local forecast after this message. and a cheetah. om'r okay. a spaceship. a spaceship. and what's slow? my grandma's slow. would you like it better if she was fast? i bet she would like it if she was fast. hm, maybe give her some turbo boosters. tape a cheetah to her back. tape a cheetah to her back? seems like you have thought about this before. [ male announcer ] it's not complicated. faster is better. and the iphone 5 downloads fastest on at&t 4g. ♪ >> good morning. it will be cold. wind chills running in the single digits and teens.

>> savannah? >> okay, al, thanks. coming up, look who is getting ready to join us as our special co-host. >> michael jordan? what? wow! >> back up. back up. steven harvey is joining us as co-host. michael jordan is turning 50. we'll have the stories in the correct orde

coming up, michael jordan turning 50 years old. we'll take a look at his success off the hard court. >> we'll have a look at that, plus more after your local news on a monday morning. i was living with pain -- all over. the intense ache made it hard to do the things that i wanted.

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when you buy a bag of pedigree, you'll help more shelter dogs go home. join us. feed your dog pedigree. and you'll help us feed more shelter dogs. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news on a baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. police searching for suspects and the stabbing death of a university of maryland student edmond st. clair was driving through campus with friends 9:30 saturday night. that is when they state they encountered another group and some sort of altercation ensued. police cannot believe this was a

random act and are now looking afor three suspects. >> just a couple problem spots around the area. overall, much lighter volume than we normally see this time. joppa and quentin, and a traffic light malfunctioning had done not ave. possible truck fire reported at conowingo road. a few things to watch for around the area. much lighter volume on the major roadways. our camera on york road shows that there are not many people out there. things are moving just fine in both directions there. same story with the inner loop. things are looking good all the way around. tony has a check of the forecast. >> if you stay out of the wind, it is a beautiful morning.

it is cold. the winds are still gusting up per hour.1 miles the wind chill in parkton is 8. mostly sunny skies. wind chills will diminish in the afternoon. clouds will thicken up in the morning, and we will see some rain in the afternoon, mixed with a little sleet or snow. dry for the week on wednesda

well, how thin is too thin? the clothes may be beautiful, but some people worry about what the message is when all the models are so skinny. well, now one country is going so far as to ban overly thin models. we'll get the latest on that story. first, 7:30 on a monday morning. it is the 18th day of february, 2013. and i'm sav annah guthrie. we both travel a lot, right? we're both on the road. have you ever lost your luggage? >> i never have. knock on wood. >> at some point in time it's going to happen. >> i know. i've jinxed it. >> if your bag never makes it back to you, it may end up here in the mother of all lost and

founds. you will not believe some of the things they've picked up over the years. >> hope janet picks up that belt. inclusion is a lesson taught every day to children of all different abilities at a school here in new york. steve harvey is here. actor, comedian, talk show host, game show host. for a couple of hours this morning, he will be one well caffeinated co-host. >> little tip from sg to you, that is not the coffee you want. there's a better stash of coffee. all right. he has a lot to -- yeah, don't even -- throw it right out. exactly. you're welcome. but first, last night in houston, nba's best face off at the all-star game. off the court, a basketball legend was doing a little celebration of his own. craig nelson is here with that story. >> a sign we are all getting old. michael jordan celebrating the big 5-0. there's a heat about the

greatest, six championships and six time mvp, all-star. that's just his accomplishments on the court. what's the man who is half a century old going to do now? >> jordan. >> jordan going all the way! >> jordan going the length of the floor. >> reporter: official nba bio, michael jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time. >> you sit there with your mouth wide open, just watching what he was able to do athletically. >> reporter: trophies, records and feets of flight, he transcended the game and became a global icon. >> better eat your wheaties. >> can't beat the real thing. >> on almost every national commercial. may have been the most marketable sports figure in history. >> i am here to announce my retirement from the game of basketball. >> reporter: a decade after

walking away from the game, forbes magazine says jordan still rakes in about $60 million a year from shoe sales alone. with six restaurants and his own nba team, charlotte bobcats, he reportedly made about $80 million last year. his net worth about $650 million. lately, jordan has been rumored to be dropping weight and beating rookies half his age, fueling speculation that he may return to the hardwood. >> there's no truth to michael jordan playing basketball again. what michael jordan has always very much enjoyed is seeing the public guessing about what can michael jordan do this time. >> reporter: if he doesn't want to play again, what does the 50-year-old want for his next step? work on his handicap, lavish wedding for his fiance or maybe, finally, wins for his abysmal basketball team? that would be a happy birthday.

>> as you just saw there, savannah, michael apparently has been having trouble selling shoes lately. for his birthday, he wanted you -- >> nice. is this my size? they're enormous. >> the white ones are yours. those are for carl. >> these? >> he knows you're a baller. he wanted you to spin it around 30 rock to drum up some business for him. >> wow, 50 years old. >> 50. you lived in chicago. >> that was the only place to be after -- want to play a game of horse? >> like we normally do. craig melvin, thank you so much. >> thank you. let's get a check of the weather from al. >> all right. thanks so much, guys. we've got a sign that says it all. you've never been colder. where are you from? >> long island. huntington, long island. >> oh, you've been colder. and watertown. you know cold. let's see what we've got for you for today. winter storm warnings, blizzard warnings and wernt weather advisories from the dakotas into

michigan. this is part of the system pushing its way across, little clipper system will bring some snow with it. nothing too horrible. we're talking six to nine inches in northern minnesota. generally one to three inches. rest of the country, we expect to see plenty of sunshine up and down the east coast. it is going to be cold and it's going to be windy. windy and wet weather from the lower gulf on into the mid and upper mississippi river valley and another big system coming in from the pacific northwest may cause real big problems as we get toward the latter part of the week. >> good morning. looks like the weather will stay quiet for this holiday. we will expect plenty of sunshine.

>> that's your latest weather. don't forget, get your weather any time you need it. go to weather channel on cable or weather.com online. carl? >> al, thanks. fashion week just wrapped up here in new york. a chance to see the latest styles and to renew the debate over those waif-like models used to promote them. one country is saying enough is enough. nbc's jim maceda has that story. jim, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, carl. well, kate moss, giselle and clearly many of the models here at london fashion week as well, beware. it's now official. you'll be out of work, at least in israel, if you're too thin. every photo shoot is a personal victory for israeli model margo stelman. her sister, also a model, died from anorexia, the eating disorder. but stelman, 21, is working at the highest level and not starving herself.

>> i thought it a very sad, sad thing to it. and now we're bringing the healthy models back. >> reporter: in fact, super thin models are now illegal here. israeli law bans them from working if their body mass index or bmi, combination of height and weight, is less than 18.5. that is, less than 118 pounds if you're 5'7". it also prohibits advertisers from publishing digitally manipulated images without a clear, written warning that the pictures you are seeing are photo shopped. >> they look at the tv and want to be skinny without any reason just because they saw beautiful and skinny girls. that, we can change. >> reporter: an iconic fashion photographer until one of his models died in his arms from anorexia. shocked, he put down his cameras and reached out to hundreds of sick, young models, offering help. he eventually pressed

politicians to pass the world's only law that protects the vulnerable from the fashion world's dark side. >> for now they're not going to be too skinny. this is the difference between life and death. >> reporter: model whose lived on crash diets are flocking to his studio and eating burgers during breaks. but not everyone is happy. an international model whose image appears on some of the world's top magazine covers, but her bmi is too low to work in israel. she thinks it's a stupid law. i'm a healthy person, she said, but this law deprives me of the right for me to practice my profession. indeed, it never would pass in another country that suffers from eating disorders. america. >> that would not fly here. it would be an impermissible abridge to free speech. >> reporter: spreading, embraced by young models, putting the pounds back on and loving it. some israelis leading that

charge say they're coming to new york in april to persuade top fashion companies to ban super thin models there as well. the fight, they say, has just begun. we'll see. carl, back to you. >> jim maceda, thanks, jim. steve harvey getting ready for his close-up, co-anchoring the next two hours on "today," right after this. this day calls you. to fight chronic osteoarthritis pain. to fight chronic low back pain. to take action. to take the next step. today, you will know you did something for your pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is a pain reliever fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. anti-depressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not for children under 18. people taking maois, linezolid or thioridazine or with

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it's like a sexy sandwich. [ anouncer ] compare new griddle melts yourself. just $4.99. it's an epic breakfast sandwich. back now at 7:43 with the story a lot of travelers can relate to. many of us wait anxiously for our luggage to come off that conveyer belt and sometimes it takes a while. but what if the bag never makes it to you? janet shamlian shows us where it may end up. >> reporter: it's the size of a football field and stocked with trendy brands and expensive jewelry you would find in a high-end department store. but almost every trinket here was someone else's treasure. from the dozens of almost new ipads to the pricey headphones. it's all from someone's lost luggage. >> when people travel, they're going to pack their best things when they go on their trip. some really good things in our store. >> reporter: most wayward bags

are eventually reunited with their owner, some 70,000 are permanently lost each year. then there are the phones, ipods and cameras left on planes with no identification. >> why don't people put their names on these? >> reporter: unclaimed baggage center in alabama buys it all by the pound. then sorts it and sells it at a discount. many as 7,000 items are put out every day. some of them, brand new. jeremy mcartie bought this for her husband, for herself, pricey jeans at 80% off. >> there's all kinds. it's just loaded. >> reporter: beyond the clothes and electronics -- >> okay, so what? >> exactly. >> reporter: a trip here is a voinl into the unusual. >> how did it even come in? was it in a suitcase? >> it wouldn't seem hard to find

the owner of this, a championship belt. would i have a problem getting through security? owners have settled with the airline. but how could you ever really replace an engagement ring or a wedding gown? dozens end up here every well. >> i didn't realize it was a vera wang. it wouldn't surprise me, though, because it's beautiful. >> reporter: do you need one? >> no, i don't. if i could fit into a size zero, i might buy it just to say, look, i can get into a size zero vera wang. >> reporter: janet shamlian, sko scottsboro, alabama. we will finally get to say hello to our co-host of the day, steve harvey. getting a little comfortable. we'll talk to him right after this. their capital one venture card to fly home for the big family reunion. you must be garth's father? hello. mother. mother! traveling is easy with the venture card

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actor, comedian and talk show host steve harvey made an appearance here last week. this morning he is literally taking over the show. >> that's right. steve is co-anchoring our 8:00 13w9 being hours. how are you? >> i'm excited. this is really big for me. >> you showed up 11 minutes early at 7:49. i love it. >> no, i've been here a lot earlier. this is the most teases i've done ever in my life. he's coming. he's coming. >> now you're here. >> we're all very excited. what have you been doing to

prepare? >> i had to brush up on my reading a little bit. >> i thought you were going to say brush my teeth. >> well, i've done that, too. now, you know, i've been looking at the teleprompter a little bit because i want to make a good impression. i'm sitting in for a legend, matt. i wanted to kind of be -- >> you're dressed snappy like matt. >> this is my anchor man suit. i put this on for that right here, some little bit more -- you all -- >> very dapper. >> i'm a little intimidated by the size of that pocket square. >> excuse me? >> wow! >> see, you're in news so you have to keep them down. mine is like a flower. yeah. >> does a pocket square say a lot about a man's personality? >> i think it does. i think men should be more into pocket squares. i think it's another element. ladies, you have so many different things you can wear, so many different ways. we just have a shirt and tie. >> flower it out just in honor of -- how does that look?

>> yours has a little bit of an outline to somehow help bring it up a little bit more. >> yeah. >> we understand hoda and kathie lee make an appearance on your show today. >> yeah, they do. >> i think we have a clip of that. let's take a look. >> kathie lee and i are going to be asking these guys some questions. hoda will get to give her input. but ultimately, hoda's date will be chosen by kathie lee. yeah. >> why are you applauding? >> all right? are you ready to meet the guy? >> ready. >> fellows, come on out. >> that's a tease. >> you're setting up hoda. you're fixing her up. >> yeah. and she picked the right one. >> was it a love connection? >> i don't know. we're going to find out. we followed them with a little camera. >> very romantic. >> not awkward at all. >> i like the one guy for hoda. i think hoda is a great lady.

i loved having them on the show. you have to see it. i had them on the show and i didn't talk. it was my talk show. >> did they drink? >> did they drink? no. you've got to watch because they really -- >> what did you lerp about them that you did not know before the show? >> well, i learned that this thing in my ear is new and it's bugging me to all -- i don't know who this person is in here talking to me. >> enjoy the next two hours, because that's the same -- >> wait till you hear from our director, joe michaels. throw it out a window. >> that's what we're seeing. as he hosts the 8:00 and 9:00 hours. , we replaced people with a machine. what? customers didn't like it. so why do banks do it? hello? hello?! if your bank doesn't let you talk to a real person 24/7,

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is kim dacey and traffic pulse 11. avenue and public road, possible lane closures associated with that. a couple problem spots around the area. the made poor roadways are very light this time of morning. you can see from towercam at greenspring ave, barely anyone is out there, a typical for this time of morning.

same story on the east side of the beltway it right at keybridge traffic. his living just fine. -- traffic is moving just fine. >> you can see plenty of sunshine on those traffic cameras. that area of pressure will be in control this morning. it is cold. we have a little breeze left over from yesterday. it is breezy right now and that is producing wind chills in the single digits. the wind chill in annapolis is 15. that is what you want to dress for, as opposed to temperatures on the low 20s. high temperatures range between 37 and 42 degrees. going into the weekend, clouds thickening up tomorrow. we will see rain developing late in the morning and afternoon. mostly rain on tuesday.

dry weather comes back on thursday. there could be a couple of chances for rain or snow on saturday and

8:00 now on this monday morning. it's the 18th of february, 2013, preside president's day. holiday for a lot of folks. we have a great crowd joining us on the plaza. good morning to them and good morning to you at home. i'm savannah guthrie. along with al roker, carl quintanilla and star co-host steve harvey is here. >> who thought of this? >> it's a great idea, right? >> yeah. this is really fun. >> a great couple of hours with you this morning. on your show, you have, what do you call it, money week? >> this week is money week. we're giving away thousands and thousands of dollars to a lucky

audience member. when the audience member gets into the booth, there's a purple and gold bill. if they win the gold bill they win a very special prize. if they get the purple bill, the whole audience gets a prize. and we have a sled that you can ride in the snow or in the grass. they made me get on it, of course. >> all kinds of things you might -- >> no manly way to sit on it. >> you look happy about it. >> no manly way to do it so you just sit on it. >> you're going to answer some questions from folks on the plaza and over at the nbc experience store. can we discuss your other segment, the pregnancy story? >> there was a guy who showed what's called an empathy garment. he put the suit on so he could get the feeling of what it is to be pregnant. he wore it for nine weeks. i think a lot of women are going to have a little problem with this. he doesn't get the rest of the

stuff like, does his, you know -- >> you know what? we look forward to that segment. >> swollen feet and milk. >> hormones. >> losing his mind and biting his own hand and, you know. >> we'll look forward to that in your interview. that's coming up this hour. we'll also take you to a unique school here in new york city. it's aim is to teach a wide variety of kids of different abilities and backgrounds all in the same classroom. we want to remind you about this friday's friday field trip. savannah, natalie, willie and i are going to miami. that's right. we're hitting the south beach, south beach wine and food festival and everything it entails. in fact, savannah, willie and matt will be my celebrity helpers at the barbecue thursday night. >> we're going to be your sous

chefs because i can't cook. >> wondering why he couldn't have been invited to that show. >> miami show with the barbecue, can you really grill, al? >> oh, yeah. >> he grills good. >> i have two barbecue cookbooks. >> oh, that's right. >> come on. i'm ready to go. >> and you used to have a little weight on you. >> that's right. i used to wear that pregnancy empathy suit. >> a lot to get to with our celebrity co-host steve harvey. let's get to natalie morales with a check of the top headlines this morning. good morning to you once again. life troubled by addiction and problems has ended in an apparent suicide for country singer star mindy mccready, suffering a single gun shot to the head. her boyfriend's shooting death last month at the same home was also being investigated as a possible suicide. she topped the charts with "guys do it all" and "10,000 ainngels"

oscar pistorius has canceled all races he was scheduled for, spending his time behind bars charged with the murder of his girlfriend reeva steenkamp. south african media sources are saying she was first shot in his bedroom, then through a bathroom door. they also report that the woman's skull was damaged and a cricket bat is being examined. sending hundreds of russians to the hospital friday could turn into a financial windfall. keir simmons joins us with the latest. >> good morning, natalie. they now believe it exploded in the atmosphere with a force of 30 russian nuclear bombs, shattering into pieces, every one worth thousands of dollars. falling spectacularly, as if from heaven last week, now russian websites are advertising fragments of the meteorite for

sale. the question, how would you know you were buying the real thing? fragments are worth more than almost anything else on earth, one smashing a hole in thick ice. crowds gathered. a piece of meteor a valuable find, selling for up to 20 times the price of gold. the world's museums display them. >> this is one of the first meteorites we've ever studied. >> reporter: this one worth a royal visit last year. meteorites such a big deal that the science channel is running a special tonight, russian meteor explosion with experts who spend their lives hunting meteors. >> people like to have something from out there. >> these are actually alien visitors from other parts of our solar system. >> reporter: the meteor the size of a baseball over california. such night-sky displays are frequent. the size of the russian meteor was rare. 1,200 people were injured. an event like this is one in

every 50 years. others say it's even rarer, 1 in 100 years, making this meteor gold rush even more competitive, experts say. 53 real fragments have been found so far, natalie. >> keir simmons in london. thanks so much, keir. our quick roundup of what has you talking online. marco rubio is cashing in on that notorious reach for water during his state of the union rebuttal, raising more than $1 million in the past week by selling real water bottles. he even earned a spoof on "saturday night live." >> can you not see? >> where? >> it's never that far away. it's right in front of you. >> where is the water? >> it's back where you were. >> which way? >> back where you were. >> and there it is. >> snl, as rubio jokes that his

thirst was brought on by eating dry roasted peanuts and beef jerky. no laughing matter, but thanks to his squeaky sound he is becoming a viral sensation. the frog may sound funny but check out this intimidating shot the photographer also posted online. i don't think that's anything to squeak at. how about a hole in nine? take a look. that shot, part of the golf management business curriculum at campbell university in north carolina. i think they all get a's for that. 8:07 right now. let's go back outside to al for another check of your weather. >> hello, mr. gopher.

how are you? >> out here too long, zblal nal >> never too long. this is the part of the weather where we talk to someone and find out where they're from. >> can i say, this is my best sign today. four score -- i mean, nine years ago i was born. >> what's your name, sweetheart? >> jade. >> where are you from? >> doylestown, pennsylvania. >> ready to do a little weather? >> let's go. >> we start off with the pick city. roll the pick city, ladies and gentlemen. austin, texas. >> been there many times. >> 76, mild. moving into the west coast tuesday with rain and snow. >> there you go. spread it around a little bit. spread it around. >> that's right. going to be looking at rain anywhere about a quarter inch to half an inch of rain up and down

the west coast. heavy mountain snows in the southern sierra and northern sierra as well. going to be looking at rain today in chicago. >> i'm on the way back to chicago this evening. >> no, you're not. >> yeah. oh, i'm not? >> just kidding. look at it snow -- look at it snowing in the upper great lakes and wet weather in the pacific northwest. windy and cold. you might be delayed a little bit leaving because of the winds here. >> al, i've got to go back. >> you're going back. >> good morning. it will be cold. wind chills running in the single digits and teens.

>> you ought to think about doing your whole show outside. >> no! this would never happen. we're already out here too long right now. >> actually it's going to happen again at 8:30. >> no, it's not. >> you make the rules today. >> to all the people, we're all going inside. when we come back, open mike with steve harvey. he will answer some questions from the crowd. >> inside. >> from inside. then we'll take you to an innovative school started by parents who wanted to include everybody. later, a pregnancy suit for men. first these messages. one. two. three. my credit card rewards are easy to remember with the bankamericard cash rewards credit card. earn 1% cash back everywhere, every time. [ both ] 2% back on groceries. [ all ] 3% on gas. no hoops to jump through. i earn more cash back on the things i buy the most. [ woman ] it's as easy as... one!

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back here at rockefeller plaza, i'm here with steve harvey, who is co-hosting the next couple of hours. you have a segment on your show called "ask steve." we're at the nbc experience store across the street. we're going to play ask steve. >> all right. >> go ahead, sarah. >> my girlfriends and i have all been married over 30 years. do you have any advice for us or our husbands? >> i think you're doing great if you've been married over 30 years. you should actually write a book. most people don't make it that far. congratulations. keep doing what you've been doing. keep it fresh and new. that's all. >> all right, sarah, thank you. >> it's working. >> all right. we've got leslie from georgia. she also has a relationship question. >> hey, steve, good morning. my mother is going to kill me. she's in her mid 50s and she's looking for love. do you have any relationship

advice for her? hey, mom. >> well now everybody at the church knows it's your mama now. that will be real good. i tell people all the time, i used to be against online dating but it really is a smart way to go. it helps you weed through some of the garbage without wasting your time going out. no need getting dressed up for a guy that's not worth it. >> stay at the computer. okay. karen from florida about parenting. >> i have a very strong willed 6-year-old that will not get out of my bed. what do you suppose i do? >> how about you buy the 6-year-old a bed? that's a new concept. it's called children's furniture. no, you know, i mean, are you married? >> yes. >> yeah, it's got to be -- >> the only one that won't get out of the bed. >> well, you know, you just have to make it a little more interesting in his bed, you know, because he can't be in there because dad's really not happy, i'm sure. dad's little playpen is pretty

much shut down. >> all right. that brings us to christina from mississippi. another question about parenting. >> good morning. how are you? >> good. how are you? >> i'm great. hypothetically speaking if you were on the airplane and your child got slapped in the face, what would you do? >> well, i'm familiar with this story right here. and you just want me to give you an honest answer? they're going to need a lot of policemen at the gate when we land. if you slap my child, you're completely out of line. i don't slap my children. you can't come on a plane and slap my child. i'm going to have to do some very undaytime things to you. let's leave it at that. >> it's probably a good place to wrap up. steve harvey and our questioners, thanks. we'll do it again. teaching the spirit of inclusion. we'll be back after this. ♪

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>> announcer: brought to you by citi, supporting progress for 200 years. back now at 8:19 with stories of progress "today." msnbc's alex wagner is here to tell us about a school here in new york city putting students of different abilities in the same classroom to learn side by side. good morning. >> good morning, carl. as more and more attention turns to learning disabilities and

education, the ideal school is expanding the definition of diversity and adding inclusion to the lesson plan. >> d. >> what was the word? >> democracy. >> reporter: max is not a typical child but his mother wanted him to have a typical school experience. >> when it came time to looking for school for kindergarten we wanted something that was similar to the preschool experience we had, go to school with his peers and other kids his age regardless of their ability or situation. >> reporter: audit ra zuckerman and the parents of two other children with down syndrome founded the ideal school in new york city. >> arrested in 1964 -- >> reporter: representing a school with a new -- learn alongside children with no special abilities. >> when we talk about inclusion.

>> education and mental ability, ideal offers unique solutions. teachers build a curriculum based on each child. entire class will focus on the same top he can, each student has a lesson plan drawn to his or her needs. the sixth debride is reading beowulf. >> they can learn something, maybe by differentiating through the different books. they do know when someone is bragging or boasting, they do know when someone is putting their lives on the line to save others and they also know what it's like to be at a table saying "beowulf, beowulf." >> reporter: students never miss lessons or feel stigmatized for being pull out of class. the head of the school believes that a social education is as important as an academic one. >> if you are only in a class with peers who have special needs you're not having role

models for the typical behavior that would perhaps help you move at a faster pace. >> reporter: she says for children without mental or physical disabilities, diversity teaches important lessons. >> those students also are gaining so much from being teachers from learning empathy, compassion, kindness. >> reporter: parents see the effects firsthand. >> the kids are partners with each other. they support each other. they advocate for each other. >> reporter: ultimately, ideal believes accepting others begins with accepting yourself. >> you don't have to leave part of you at the door when you come to this school. >> reporter: in the best case, that acceptance becomes something much bigger. pride. >> he is a ham. he's accepted for that. that is part of who he s he is so proud of the fact that he has down syndrome that he doesn't think of it as a negative. it's just something about himself and who he is. >> we should mention that the ideal school is private and students with special needs do pay more to attend the school,

which is how it's able to have multiple teachers in every classroom. financial aid has been a big part of the school's mission, to ensure, of course, a diverse student body. carl? >> watching some of that video, alex, the impact on those kids with special needs must be amazing. >> the kids with special needs grow up not thinking that anything -- there's nothing different about them, that they have nothing to be ashamed of. on the other side, the kids that grow up, quote, unquote, normal, have a completely different conception of what it means to have down syndrome. they just treat each other in a really, actually, beautiful way. it's a very special place. >> how easy would this be to replicate around the country? should parents who see this in california think maybe this is coming my way, too? >> resources are part of it. raising the money for it, tuition piece and financial aid piece is definitely a consideration. it begins with parents and teachers and educators saying, look, this is the kind of environment we want to establish. maybe if the school isn't

singularly dedicated to bringing these students together, it's about integrating the classroom. >> if your kid is, say, gifted or talented and slowed down some way in this classroom? >> i think it's mitigated by the fact that they have tailored experience. you're getting special attention in the classroom no matter what. >> alex, thanks for the story. they say you can't be a little bit pregnant. one man who tried to be, after your local news. you're getting special attention

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's get a check on the morning commute with kim dacey. >> couple of problem spots out there. not as much volume we are used to this morning. a brush fire off to the side -- not on the roadway, but it could cause a spectacle and some rubbernecking as you go in that direction. we have a disabled vehicle here with possible lane closures as well. westminster, route 40 and 97. a few things to be aware of on the roads this morning. j.f.x. and old pimlico road is looking great in both

directions. same story on the east side of the beltway at the keybridge. very light volume of there. not too many people out there by. tony, over trio. >> quiet start, weather-wise. nice area of high-pressure. it is cold. 21 in parkton. we have a little bit of a breeze carrying over from yesterday. still enough to win it cannot the wind chills into the single digits. 13 at the airport. forecasts for the day, lots of sunshine. high temperatures between 37 and 42 degrees. rain in the forecast tomorrow. mostly rain tomorrow. dry weather on wednesday and thursday. as we go to next weekend, a

couple of systems will come in. high temperatures will drop back into the 30's. >> we are back with another update at 8:56.

8:30 now on this monday morning. it's the 18th of february, 2013. chilly day out here on our plaza. we have a lot of hardy folks who decided to come by, say hello. lots have stopped by, not the least of which, steve harvey, our co-host. >> i'm here. >> how do you like it so far?

oh, come on. still thawing out? >> i love work iing outside. who thought of this? >> i know. this is our last moment outside. >> okay. >> coming up, you're going to go inside and speak to the pregnant man? >> this guy wore the suit because he wanted to see what his wife was experiencing. he thought by wearing this suit he could tell us what he has learned about being pregnant. i don't really think a lot of women are going to be too fond of this, but we'll see what he has to say. >> nine weeks, not nine months. i think he did the easy part. >> very easy part. >> what else is coming up? >> pioneer at the helm of one of the most popular magazines around. we'll find out what made her switch jobs to launch her ground-breaking career and what career advice she has for other women as well. you're on an all-liquid detoks plan? >> i'm in the second phase of getting into the best shape of my life 2013. i'm doing the detox portion. >> it's a cleanse? >> yes. i'm cleansing right now.

>> uh-uh do seem very it shall. >> even as you speak? you are so clean. >> yeah. >> you are. >> do you drink crazy drinks and that kind of thing? >> it's actually pretty good. it's not for everybody. it's challenging. >> it's fruits and vegetables, right? >> fruits and vegetables. gets you very, very healthy. >> we'll find out what makes steve so clean coming up in a few minutes. let's say hello to keri russell, who has a new show called "the americans." >> good morning, guys. >> look who just happened by. this reminds me of the story that was in the news recently. you play a spy, kgb agent living undercover as an american. >> it's true, there have been a few real-life episodes of this. really our show is more of a fictionalized version of that. but it's really a story of this very complicated marriage of these two kgb spies living very, very deep cover in suburban d.c.

and all the things that spies have to do. >> during the 1980s cold war era. does that mean '80s fashion? >> yeah, a lot of that. no cell phones. >> not the only thing you have going on. "dark skies" is coming out. tell us about this. >> that's true. it's a really good, scary thriller. kind of more in the vain of like poltergeist. keeping outside forces and -- >> that bird hits the window. >> if you're jumpy, it's not the movie for you. this movie does what it's supposed to do and it's really great. >> you're a very busy lady. look for "dark skies" and "the americans" on fx. >> let's get a check of the weather. ta's cold. yes, it is. >> brilliant. >> right now, we're looking at for the week ahead above-normal temperatures with wet weather in the east, below normal out west, snow in the plains.

midweek period another big system coming across from the pacific northwest, bringing snow from the rockies into the central plains, below-normal temperatures in the northeast, midatlantic states. the latter part of the week, we're looking for wet weather, warmer weather down through the south. we expect to see below-normal temperatures, snow in the upper great lakes. >> good morning.peratureslo looks like the weather will stay quiet for this holiday. we will expect plenty of sunshine. nice group of people from

cleveland. what's your name? >> julie. >> mark. >> sue. >> thanks for coming down. nice and clean, just like cleveland. there you go. guys, back to you. cleveland, steve harvey. >> yes. >> al, thanks. want to welcome michael dorsey as the latest contestant to get cut from the ranch on nbc's hit show ""the biggest loser." good morning to you. >> good morning to you. >> you were the heaviest going into this. >> i was the big boy. i lost 91 on the ranch and so far i've lost over 125 pounds. >> unbelievable. >> i thought it was horrible that you got kicked off after -- your goal was to lose 11 pounds in a week and you lost 10. >> lost 10. >> 10 pounds is a lot of weight to lose. >> any other day, 10 pounds would be awesome but not in the biggest loser world. >> what are you doing at home to stay on track? >> keeping up the exercise, enjoying working out, which was

not the case before. eating right. my wife is on me like a guard dog. taking care of things. and i got too many people who ir making sure i'm doing what i'm supposed to do. >> what's your favorite thing to do to work out? >> i love spin. i'm loving -- going on the bike and -- oh, yeah. i'm loving it. loving it a lot. >> i know on the ranch it looked like you had an alliance formed with jeff but in the end he voted you off. how upset were you by that? >> you know what? at the end of the day, everybody reminded me that it was important for us to do what was important for us. for me, what's important for me is to get what i need to get. i still got weight to keep on long. >> there's still a prize relate to weight that you lose. >> i'm working real hard to get it. i've got to take care of my family, my life and get this thing moving. >> we're so proud of you. there's still so much left of you to love. congratulations. biggest loser airs tonight, 8:00, 7:00 central here on nbc. steve harvey will come face

to face with that man who decided to live as a pregnant woman in that suit. the story is coming up. first this is "today" on nbc.

well, folks, a lot of men have wondered what it's like to be pregnant. benjamin percy decided he wanted to find out himself. he wore a so-called pregnancy suit for nine weeks, visited a laboratory in japan where they were able to simulate the different stages of pregnancy. he wrote about his experience for the march issue of "gq" magazine. benjamin, good morning to you. >> morning. morning. >> good, good, good. so, this is kind of groundbreaking right here, right? tell us exactly what the empathy belly is. >> well, this is the empathy belly, also known as the zero dark thirty. and i had to wear it for nine

weeks to compress the version of the nine hadn't month te-month . the idea behind it is that our grandfathers never held babies and fathers never changed diapers. these days it's grounds for divorce. i have a lot of pals who are stay-at-home dads and pals who are involved with their kids and i feel a little inadequate in that regard sometimes. >> wait a minute. so you wanted to accomplish what by doing this? >> to make up for my mouth-breathing, hairy chested caveman deficiencies. so by putting this on -- >> that did it for you? >> it's a sort of stunt, of course. when i say that i wore this for nine weeks, you know, i am a novelist first and fiction writer second. i punctuate that claim with a -- i took it off now and then.

>> what were the reactions you were getting? you wore this, i take it, under your clothes. >> actually, i had to wear it on top of my clothes during the most armpity time of the year between july and august. i started smelling fungal and rashed over. you can see from these flattering picks they're putting up on the screen this i was glistening for nine weeks. >> what's been the reaction from women, though? they've got to be a little bit perturbed about this whole thing. here is a guy that puts on a suit for nine weeks. you're saying it was a rough time of the month in july when a lot of women spend time being pregnant in the summer months. you really think that showed what it was like or -- >> i was expected to get a nice pat on the back. women were completely fixated on the suit's inadequacy. they wanted me to have heartburn, varicose veins, pee every five minutes, be

consequence pated for a week and jab me full of hormone oozing needles essentially. once they saw me in the suit, they were like, nice try, wuss. >> well, this was a successful venture. you wore this suit but, i mean, you have to understand women's reaction to this whole thing, though, right? >> well, sure. i mean, i have, from waking up in the middle of the night to accommodate my children crying and from changing thousands of diapers, learned that i'm not man enough to be a woman. and this suit just sort of underscored that. >> you know what? i think that's a good place to be. because i think women just don't get enough credit for what they're doing. i mean, it's a nice try for you to do it, of course. you realize it didn't quite measure up to the actual business of being pregnant. >> sure. and i knew that from the very

beginning. >> okay. well, it's good for women to know at home. i thought you put it on because you thought you would actually simulate pregnancy. have you ever bit a man before? >> i've never bit a man before. >> my pregnant wife bit me. i'm wondering how you could work it in next time you put the suit on. >> i'm never putting this suit on again. >> great experiment. wish you the best. thank you very much. up next, a woman with a groundbreaking career at the helm of "brides" magazine. first this is "today" on nbc. [ female announcer ] pillsbury crescents are awesome.

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african-american history makers and "brides" magazine head honcho made that list. she has risen to the top of but it was a journey that required a leap of faith. mara schiavocampo has that story. >> determined to chase her dreams. not only has she achieved them but inspiring others to dream big, too. >> we're thinking about this as the possible cover. >> reporter: work can be an awful lot of fun. >> does this excite you? >> every day. every day. >> reporter: as "brides" editor in chief, she is in charge of the most popular magazine in the country, published by conde naste, behind other powerhouses like vogue and vanity fair. >> our job is to carry it because a bride could drive herself crazy looking at all the options out there. >> reporter: not just making editorial choices but making

history as the first african-american editor in chief in conde nast history. >> there's historical note worthiness but she has the job because she has the talent and will to succeed. >> reporter: has it sunk in? >> has it sunk in? no, not really. the appointment is wonderful and worth celebrating. i still every day want to be the best editor that i can be. >> reporter: she didn't start out in publishing. the 40-year-old who called d.c. home graduated from howard university law school and spent four years in corporate law. she soon realized it wasn't for her and started to plan her exit. >> a year's worth of mortgage payments. i won't be able to eat but at least i won't be homeless. >> reporter: following a life-long passion for magazines, and taking an 85% pay cut. within two years, she was editor

in chief, a title she would hold at two bigger publications before moving to "brides." what do you think it is that makes you good at this job? >> i think it starts with being passionate about it. i really do love it. and love learning about my craft. if you're passionate about something, i really do believe that the success will come. >> reporter: and it did. now minor oversees every aspect of "brides," including how they adapt to the digital landscape. that's not the only thing that's changed over time. today, 40% of the magazines readers are minorities. >> it is of importance that conde nast adjusts to the fact that they have a diverse reader ship. you want that reflected not onlin on the pages of your magazines but at your mast heads and in your board rooms. how do you consider being a role model? >> there's less pressure and honor in that. when i think of role models i

think of michelle obama and anna winter and people like that with proven track records. i'm still growing and there's still work to do. >> reporter: minor's career advice for other women, surround yourself with a great team, make time for yourself and be grateful for what you have. she also says if you're considering a career switch, just go for it because, savannah, face it none of us are younger. >> way to put a fine point on it. she is pretty inspiring. thank you very much. how does steve harvey keep his figure? he will tell us about the diet he's on right now. it's a cleanse. but first -- he's very clean. first this is "today" on nbc.

>> announcer: "today's" kitchen is brought to you by new smooth roast coffee, only at burger king, where taste is king. back now at 8:51 with "today's" kitchen. on the lighter side. this morning, we take a look at the martha's vineyard diet detox, a tough 21-day regime with juices and soups only for three weeks. >> the author behind one pound a day. she's a registered nurse and has a phd in natural health. madelyn fernstrom is "today's" diet and nutrition editor. >> we should mention, steve currently on the program. good morning to all of you. steve, your on it right now, like on day six. >> i'm on day six right now. >> what is it and what is it like?

>> for me it's a great way to get healthy and cleanse out my system and give it all a chance to rejuvenate and start over again. i've been putting a lot of bad stuff in it, processed foods. it helps me clear it out. side effect, benefit is that i'm going to lose weight. the real benefit for me is to get healthy. >> the book makes clear people don't understand the toxins that our bodies take in all the time. this is sort of a way to try to reverse that, right? >> absolutely. it's over 300 different toxins that we come across on a daily basis. so this is a program for 21 days only fruits and juices to transform you from the inside out. and not only do you lose weight, but the whole purpose behind this program is to get healthy. >> how is it different from all the juice cleanse that are the big craze right now? >> right now we tell everyone, this program is -- you have to be really careful. you just can't go out and drink five, six different juices in a day. you have to be careful of the sugar content. but the way i designed the program is for many years of

studying the science behind detoxing. it's convenient. packages that we use are vegetable and fruit based. you're not drinking sugar all day but drinking vitamins and minerals and vital nutrients. the whole thing is designed for you to get healthy. you not only lose the weight but deinflame your body. your skin looks better, hair looks better. at the end of 21 days your focus and memory -- you just feel healthy and lighter. >> i hear you saying yes to all these things. >> i did it before but i only did it for 14 days. in the 14 days, my focus was really good. i was really sharp. but i lost 18 pounds, but i was really clear. i'm on it right now and i'm not lethargic or anything. you really do get the energy. >> madelyn, are there concerns about going for 21 days without any solid food to speak of? >> the issue is not solid food but the protein.

the really low level of protein for a few weeks. after a couple of days, your body gets it from itself and that's the protein source like muscles. that's something to be aware of. if your body can tolerate that, you're a healthy person like steve, you're doing well on this. the important thing is to not extend beyond, as roni says, 21 days. you're reintroducing real foods and lots of protein. and that's why it's always important to talk to your doctor if you want to do this. as steve said last time he went on it for 14 days. you really have to listen to your body. when you're feeling great, you're do iing fine. if you don't feel great -- roni, i'm sure you've seen many people like this as well. you have to have a heads up. if you have any medical illness and you're not 100% a healthy person, heart issues, diabetes. >> if i go 21 days without ice cream or fried chicken on the 22nd d i'm going to want some, right? >> what's to keep you going from right back where you were 21 days earlier? >> it's a lot of information.

go to my website and grab the book and the program. the martha vineyard's diet detox. one thing you have to remember is in one day you get more nutrition in one day on this program than the average person gets in two weeks. on the third or fourth day, you're not hungry. after 21 days, you have to transition yourself back to a healthy lifestyle not for a week but for life. that's what the book is going to teach you. it's going to teach you how to be healthy forever. >> have you been able to do that, steve? can you go back to regular eating in a healthy way? >> yeah, yeah, yeah. except this time i'll be more focused about it. and i didn't lose muscle tone last time. >> i can tell that. >> i got you boys in college. >> you have to find a plan that works. >> ronni deluz, madelyn fernstrom, thank you very much. steve will stick around and dish out some relationship advice. first your local news.

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. baltimore county police seized counterfeit merchandise from a free-market. in addition to counterfeit movies and music, detectives found counterfeit name-brand

products like nik

>> good morning, everyone. we are off to a quiet start this president's day. the winds will diminish. is between 37 and 42 degrees. >> that you for joining us. >> that you for joining us.